Downing Street says the new measures for Hartlepool and Middlesbrough will come into force on Saturday morning at one minute past midnight.

Read more here.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock wants the public to fully appreciate the coronavirus risk, having contracted the virus.

A vicar in Hartlepool says there are concerns about the impact of tougher restrictions in the area to try to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Rev Gemma Sampson said: "One of my congregation said to me I would rather die of coronavirus than loneliness. And I feel like both of those are an equal threat."

Hartlepool Labour MP Mike Hill has condemned government plans to tighten up Covid-19 measures as "absolutely disgraceful".

Middlesbrough's independent elected mayor says he will "defy" the government over new laws banning any social mixing indoors in the town.

Andy Preston tweeted a video, saying: "I have to tell you I think this measure has been introduced based on factual inaccuracies and a frightening lack of communication and ignorance.

"[Government] needs to understand our local knowledge and expertise and ability to get things done and preserve jobs and wellbeing.

"We're really disappointed, as things stand we defy the government and we do not accept these measures.

"We need to get Covid under control and we need to work with people to find a way a way of preserving jobs and metal health."

The government has turned down calls for a public inquiry into the miners' strike of the mid 1980s.

The Labour MP for Wansbeck and former president of the National Union of Mineworkers, Ian Lavery, said more than 11,000 miners went on trial and should be pardoned.

"I was among that number," he said.

"Now 6,000 put on trial, 7,000 injured, many blacklisted, never ever to work again, and others died with an unjust criminal record."

Image source, PA Media

But Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said it was hard to see what an inquiry into the miners' strike would achieve.

"There have been very significant changes in the oversight of policing at every level," she said.

"I'm not sure that it would be worth the efforts of an inquiry to be able to make sensible comments on that, given that quantity of change, and that the focus should instead be on continuing to ensure that the policing system is the best that it can be."

Alex Lees and Chris Rushworth are among seven players to sign new deals with Durham, but Scott Steel will leave the club.

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Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald says he is "worried about how long these restrictions might go on for".

A ban on any social mixing indoors is coming into force in the town and Hartlepool.

He added: "But the sooner we take action to suppress the virus in our area, the better chance we have of seeing the rates drop and consequently an earlier relaxation of the restrictions.

"People are understandably concerned about the availability of tests and the system is sadly still far from running fully and efficiently which only serves to reinforce the need for us all to do everything in our power to stop the further spread of the virus."

Here is a summary of what the new restrictions are for Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said they would include:

• A ban on different household meeting indoors
• He also "recommended against all social mixing between households"

People should also:

• Not attend amateur sports events as spectators
• Only visit care homes in exceptional circumstances
• Adhere to guidance against all but essential travel

People with additional regional virus restrictions “need some reassurance an end is in sight” the shadow health secretary says.

Areas around Merseyside and the Tees Valley face extra coronavirus restrictions, Matt Hancock announces.

The further restrictions for Middlesbrough and Hartlepool announced today are "sadly inevitable", Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald says.

He added: "I’ve said before that no one welcomes further restrictions, but we on Teesside sit next to seven neighbouring North East local authorities where tighter restrictions have been imposed for some time now because of worryingly high rates of Covid19.

"It’s only 13 miles from Middlesbrough to Sedgefield in County Durham and the virus is clearly in circulation right across the NE region at levels that are concerning and the virus pays no heed to the local authority borders between County Durham and the Tees Valley local authority areas."

Nearly a quarter of a million people will be placed under stricter coronavirus measures in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

It comes after a spike in cases, BBC analysis of government figures shows.

Middlesbrough went from 75 to 171 cases in the week to 27 September, a rate of 121.3 per 100,00 people.

And Hartlepool saw cases rise from 74 to 113 in the same period, a rate of 120.6.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth questioned Matt Hancock why areas with greater restrictions have not come out of local lockdowns.

Mr Ashworth told MPs: "Also, some of the heaviest increase in infections appear to be taking place in areas where restrictions are in place.

"So why are the interventions not working? Why are the moles not getting whacked?"

Matt Hancock replied: "It is true that some parts of the country have come through a local lockdown.

"In fact, we've lifted many of the measures, for instance, that were in place in Leicester.

"We weren't able to lift all of the measures and the case rate there did go back up again, although it has now appears to have stabilised."

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston says he does not accept new restrictions for his town and Hartlepool announced by the government this morning.

A ban on households meeting indoors has been announced as part of further restrictions for the north of England after a spike in coronavirus cases.

Independent mayor Mr Preston said he believed they had been introduced "based on factual inaccuracies and a monstrous and frightening lack of communication and ignorance."

Matt Hancock said that he would not allow the virus to "let rip" across the country.

He said: "It is critical that the whole country acts together now to control the spread of this virus, so please for your loved ones, for your community, and for your country - follow the rules and do your bit to keep this virus under control.

"By its nature, this virus spreads through social contact and so it's had a terrible impact on the hospitality sector, who in good times exist to encourage that very social contact that we all enjoy.

"We've had to take difficult but necessary decisions to suppress the virus. The only alternative to suppressing the virus is to let it rip and I will not do that."

He added: "So, while I know that many of the individual rules are challenging, they are necessary and there are those early signs that they're working."

The Health Secretary has announced new restrictions for Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

Matt Hancock said the restrictions which had been in place in large areas of the North East since earlier this week would be extended to the two Teesside areas.

As it's announced tighter restrictions on social mixing are to be imposed on Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, not everyone is happy about it.

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Conservative MP Simon Clarke called the move "very regrettable":

There is evidence the Government's restrictive coronavirus measures are "beginning to work", Matt Hancock says.

Earlier, he told the Commons: "There are also early signs that the actions that we've collectively taken over the past month are starting to have a positive impact.

"Today's REACT (Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission) study from Imperial College suggests that whilst the R-number remains above one, there are early signs that it may be falling.

"We must not let up, but people everywhere can take some small hope that our efforts together may be beginning to work. "I put it stronger than that. Cases are still rising."